The Storm
by dmsfanman
Summary: It is Daria's senior year in college and fall break has arrived. It is time for some fresh air and relaxation. Well, the relaxation part doesn't quite work out as expected.
_This is the third story in my series on Daria's senior year in college. It follows "The Game" by a few weeks._

 **The Storm**

"I'm just about to leave for home, Daria. Have you decided what you are going to do yet?" Quinn said in her typically high pitched voice that almost sounded like a whine.

In her characteristic deadpan voice Daria replied, "This is the only time this year that Raft and Bromwell's academic calendars coincide. So, Tom invited me to The Cove for the break. He will be picking me up late this afternoon. Some of us still have class. Not all of us can get away before noon on the day before break!"

"Daria, you have just never learned when it is OK to cut class. I went to my 9:00 class and the others I am simply cutting today. The professors don't really expect you to be there. Everybody takes off the day before break. Today is just 'babysitting' for them. If the administration didn't make them hold class they all would have canceled!"

Daria replied with a distinct note of exasperation in her voice, "I don't know what things are like in the world of finance majors at State, but those of us majoring in English here at Raft need to be in class for the discussions. And I have a major paper due today. Besides, fall break is time that we poor students have off, but it is not a university holiday. Faculty and staff are supposed to be working tomorrow and Friday."

"Once again, Daria, you overestimate what you need to do."

"That's your opinion, Quinn."

"Mom and Dad will miss seeing you. I think they are kind of apprehensive about you and Tom going off for this weekend. You've never gone anywhere for that long other than camp and college."

"Well, I want to enjoy and relax over the break. That won't happen at home."

"So, are you actually going to let Tom touch you or are you two going to just sit and stare at each other like you did in high school?"

"That's none of your business, Quinn." Daria said forcefully with a definite note of irritation in her voice.

"OK. Well have fun," Quinn replied.

"Bye Quinn," Daria said ending the call.

….

Tom pulled up in front of Daria's apartment building. She was waiting there for him. He pulled into a space, which was in and of itself a near miracle. Parking was not only at a premium, but on the Raft campus it was nearly impossible without a permit. Thankfully with so many people having already departed for fall break there was, for once, ample parking. Tom got out, kissed Daria, and then loaded her duffle and leather messenger bag in the trunk. The two then got into the car and drove off.

As they drove along Daria commented, "Nice car. But it certainly isn't the usual Sloane-mobile or an angry rust bucket!"

"It's a rental," Tom replied. "I wanted a sportier model, but being under 25 this was the only thing they would rent me. They don't want 'kids' driving their sports cars or luxury cars. I had the choice of a compact or mid-size sedan. But, it will get us there."

"Actually it's fine. I don't care that much about cars anyway."

"I know. You never would have stepped into mine otherwise."

"Funny. I do like being with you, though, Tom. I think we can really relax over this break, even though I do have to do some reading."

"I have some homework to do as well. Unfortunately, too many professors see the fall break more as extra study time for their students rather than a short vacation."

Daria chuckled, "Yeah. I can't figure out whether it is resentment for not having the time off as well or just good old fashioned sadism."

The drive to The Cove was truly beautiful. The fall colors were nearly at their peak and landscape awash in reds, yellows, and even some trees that were still green. Just as the sun was going down they came upon a sign for a turnout with a view. Tom pulled over and they got out to watch the sun set together.

As they sat on a bench at the overlook Tom put his arm around Daria. She gently moved his arm from around her and instead put it between them. She did, however, hold on to his hand. In total they spent about fifteen minutes sitting together hand in hand on the bench watching a beautiful sunset. When the sun had dipped below the horizon Tom said, "You know we should probably find some dinner."

"Not a bad idea," Daria replied. "Now that you mention it I am kind of hungry. We can eat at whatever place comes along next. I'm not picky."

The two got back into the car and continued driving. It wasn't long before they drove into a little town and stopped at the local diner. Dinner was classic comfort food and the two chatted about classes, classmates and professors.

After finishing their meals Tom was drinking a cup of coffee and Daria was drinking tea. Tom said, "Well, we have about an hour left and we will be there. As you saw, I have groceries in the trunk. If there is anything you particularly want, then we can stop and pick it up."

"I'll go with whatever you brought. I trust you Tom. I am guessing you aren't planning boiled potatoes with pea soup or something else horrible."

Tom faked a shudder. "I can guarantee that is not on the menu. I think I do know what you like to eat."

Daria gave Tom a half-smile, "Well we will see how good you are in that area. Now we should get going. You said we will have some work when we get there."

"Yeah. We need to put things away, uncover the furniture, and make the bed. After the big family gathering in August most stuff got covered and put away."

Tom and Daria drove the last hour to The Cove. They spent the next hour unloading and putting things away. They also had some cleanup to do inside to make the place truly livable. When they were all done they sat at the table by the big window and drank hot apple cider. Afterward they went off to sleep. Tom got the couch, which he actually found to be more comfortable that the beds in the extra bedrooms.

...

Tom blinked as the light streamed in through the big window. He put his bare feet on the cool floor and walked off to the downstairs bathroom. The taste in his mouth was something akin to an army that had marched through the mud. Even if he went back to sleep he wanted to brush his teeth so that Daria would not experience his breath this morning. He would even go ahead and shave. He knew Daria was not an early riser, so he took the time to make himself presentable. Then he went back to the couch.

Lying there staring at the ceiling Tom started thinking about what they should do for the day. The skiff was still in the water. They could take a ride in the boat. Most likely there was gas in the tank. If not he thought he saw a gas can near the dock. Another thing they could do would be to take a walk in the woods. Whether from the water or on foot the trees were not far beyond their peak color. The crunch of leaves underfoot was a great sound. After an outing they could sit in the Adirondack chairs on the veranda and sip something hot with a nice shot of rum in it to warm them.

Tom hoped that in the evening Daria would let him snuggle with her a little bit. There was no doubt that in their renewed relationship there were feelings on both sides. Daria certainly let Tom hold her hand, give her brief hugs, and even kiss her. But, her aversion to being touched was still very strong. As much as she showed Tom that she clearly liked him, even when they had a disagreement about something, she still had not lowered that barrier. Above all Tom wanted Daria to trust him to the point where she would let him touch her and show her that he would always be gentle with her. And, he needed – no longed for - that touch from her.

Tom figured that he had dozed off for a while lying there on the couch. When he awoke he could hear Daria moving around upstairs. He got up, folded the throw he had used as a blanket and set it in the pile of other throws across the room. Then he straightened the pillows on the couch, ran his hands through his sandy colored hair to make certain it was not a total disaster, and walked into the kitchen.

In the kitchen he started pulling out items from the refrigerator to make omelets with bacon and toast. About half way through making breakfast Daria came down the stairs. She had obviously brushed her auburn hair. She was wearing her big round glasses on her oval face. She had a terry bathrobe on over black sweatpants and an orange t-shirt.

"Good morning beautiful!" Tom said with enthusiasm.

"Hmmm," Daria said turning away to look out the window. "When did you say you last had your eyes checked?" She said in her total deadpan.

Tom responded, "Your mind is always beautiful no matter what. And there is no one else I would rather see first thing in the morning. Besides, when I am with you I can hardly take my eyes off of you!"

Daria turned and looked at Tom. "I guess I should be glad your eyesight isn't so good. I should probably be happy that you are so desperate that you want me as your girlfriend."

Tom turned down the burners. That would give him three or four minutes to talk to Daria before he had to do something with breakfast again. "Why are you down on yourself this morning? I want you for my girlfriend because of how I feel about you not because I am desperate." Tom walked over to Daria and put out his arms to give her a hug. He wanted to reassure her.

Daria took a step back and turned away. Tom still came up behind her and put his arms around her. She did not wiggle to get away. "I made you sleep on the couch. Why don't you hate me?"

Tom turned Daria around and kissed her forehead. "Because I have known you for a long time. Because I respect you. Because I want our relationship to grow organically and not be forced. Because I know that when the time is right we will take the next step together. I know how you feel about being touched and that even being held like this is a challenge for you. I feel privileged that you let me hold you this way. It is just the way you are. You are different from other women."

Daria looked up into Tom's gray eyes. "I guess I have to give you credit for recognizing that I am different. I like our relationship. Now kiss me. I even brushed my teeth before coming down." Tom obliged. Then Daria gently pushed away and said, "Now let's have some breakfast before it burns! Did you make coffee?"

Tom served Daria coffee and her breakfast. They ate at the table in front of the big window and talked about what they saw in the sunshine around the water. They also made their plans for the day.

…

Even bundled up and wearing a life jacket Daria had to admit that she liked sitting in the front of the boat. The wind blew through her hair. It was a brisk fall day, the perfect day for an autumn sail – even though the boat was powered. The clouds were scattered across the sky with the sun breaking out in bursts. The boat cut through the water. Despite the coolness of the air she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. It was so different here than back in Boston. Daria's thoughts drifted a bit. She realized that it was good to be young. It was good to feel these things. It was good to be here with Tom. Looking around the trees were at their peak of color and it was amazing. Leaves fell announcing the coming winter. This is a day that should inspire a writer.

Daria turned around and looked back at Tom as he maneuvered the boat through the open water with the outboard engine. He was clearly skilled at this and must have done it many times with aunts, uncles, and even a few cousins. He was clearly in his element. He wore his lifejacket over an old corduroy coat. It gave him a very rugged look. Daria liked that. Daria smiled back at him.

Tom throttled the engine back and slowed the boat. There was no way that he could talk to or hear Daria over the sound of an outboard motor going full speed.

"Enjoying the ride?" Tom asked.

"Very much. It is beautiful out here to the point of being inspiring. I should probably spend some time this evening writing in my journal how the fall colors in this place are amazing. I thought the leaves were so much better in Boston than back in Lawndale. Here it is even better than in Boston! Thank you for bringing me out here, Tom."

"It's my pleasure, Daria. I just enjoy spending time with you and this is a great place to spend time! My family members consider it too cold to come out here much after early September. In fact, next week or the week after the contractor will be out to shut off the utilities and winterize the house. Then the place won't be usable again until April."

"Too bad. It might be fun to come out here during the winter."

"True, but we would never make it if there is snow. Or if it snowed while we were here we might get trapped. The road doesn't get plowed and no one comes out this way. The best we could do would be to park back in town and ski or snow shoe out here, but that is about 10 miles."

"That is definitely too far to go on skis or snow shoes."

"I agree. I like to come out here to relax not attempt to push myself beyond exhaustion!"

As Daria and Tom were talking in the boat the sky began to cloud over. In the space of just a few minutes it went from broken clouds and sun to a dark overcast. The temperature also took a sudden drop.

"We might want to start back," Tom said. "I don't like the look of those clouds."

Almost on queue rain started to pelt Tom and Daria in the skiff. Tom increased the throttle on the engine and began turning the boat around. The rain rapidly grew stronger and a stiff wind came up with it. In what seemed to be just moments they had gone from light clouds to wind driven rain. And the rain was ice cold.

The rain was coming down fast enough some of it began collecting in the bottom of the boat. If it wasn't bad enough that they were already soaked, after about five minutes the rain turned to sleet.

"Can we go any faster?" Daria shouted.

At the top of his lungs Tom shouted back, "No. This is as fast as it will go. It took us about a half hour to get out here. It will take almost as long to get back. I can't get us to shelter either. I don't want to get too close to the shore. There are too many opportunities to snag the propeller or run aground around here."

Daria just sat and put her hand on the edge of the boat to steady herself. What she quickly discovered was that ice was depositing itself on all of the metal surfaces. And it was doing so rather quickly.

"Were taking on ice," Daria shouted to Tom.

"I know. Nothing we can do about it. I don't have anything to scrape with in the boat. If you want use a drinking cup and start bailing the water from the bottom. That will at least give us longer until we sink."

"You sound so optimistic."

"Worst case scenario. However, it pays to be prepared. Double check that your life vest is properly secured. Should we have to hit the water we want good flotation. But it is cold enough that a swim to shore would be brutal." Tom was getting a little hoarse shouting over the sound of the outboard motor.

"OK," Daria shouted back to him. She checked her vest and then grabbed a big plastic cup and started bailing water from the bottom of the boat. She checked her watch and about 10 minutes had passed since they started taking on ice. Either it was her imagination or the boat was riding lower in the water. There were 20 minutes to go. She kept on bailing.

It took Daria about 10 minutes to finish bailing. Looking up she asked Tom, "How are we coming along?"

"We're doing OK. The weight of the ice is slowing us, though, and we are using more fuel. Not a big deal right now, but I would suggest looking around in the bottom of the boat to see if there is anything you can use to chip away at some of this ice."

As Tom finished his sentence the wind, which had been annoying but moderate suddenly increased. The temperature fell again. White caps began forming on the water. Now he started getting concerned. They had 10 minutes left in what might be approaching gale force winds. This was getting serious. The wind and waves caused greater resistance to the boat moving through the water. This would increase fuel consumption. That coupled with the weight of the ice they were taking on were worrying him about getting back to the house without running out of fuel. Hypothermia was also now a real possibility. The 10 minutes could become 20 and they could be in trouble by the time they got back.

Daria could see the concern come over Tom's face. Even with the gloves she had found in the pockets of her coat she was getting very cold. And she was wet. Soon her teeth would start chattering. Up in the bow someone had left an old rusty screwdriver. She used the tool to chip ice off of the hull. At least it gave her something to do and helped to generate some heat, but not much.

Another 10 minutes went by. Now Daria was starting to shiver. Tom could see it despite her trying to work faster chipping ice. The boat was getting lower in the water. The house was still not in sight.

"Daria, come back here with me," Tom said. "Sit in the bottom of the boat between my legs. I think I can at least give you some shelter and maybe some of my body heat."

Daria carefully made her way to the back of the boat and sat down. Tom wrapped his legs around her as best he could and still keep his balance to run the outboard. It was definitely less windy in this position, but Daria was still wet and cold. Now she just stared at whatever lay ahead. Then she heard a sputter from the engine.

Looking up and back she shouted, "What's happening Tom?"

"We're getting low on fuel, but I think it will be OK. I can see the top of the house. We are nearly there."

Daria looked back toward the bow. Her nerves were starting to fray a bit. She was still shivering, but probably not as badly. The air was full of leaves that were blowing off the trees. There was no letup in the wind and the bouncing around on the waves was starting to give her motion sickness. Could she be seasick if they weren't on the open ocean? Daria thought she could see the top half of the house from her position, but wasn't sure. It was now a losing battle to keep the sleet off of her glasses. In this terrible wind they were icing over. Then she heard the engine sputter again.

"Tom," she shouted.

"I can see the dock, Daria. We will make it one way or another."

The engine was sputtering badly. It seemed to go on and off in a rhythm. Daria was worried.

Tom shouted, "Get ready to grab hold and jump on the dock. I am aiming the boat so that when the engine goes out the current will run us into the dock. Grab a rope and wait for my signal."

"Aye aye captain," Daria shouted. She managed to move to the center seat and grab a rope. She noticed that she was now so cold that holding onto the rope was a challenge. Despite the shivering she willed herself to hold onto the rope.

The engine sputtered and died.

Tom yelled, "When you feel the boat hit the dock - jump."

Momentum kept the boat moving past the end of the dock toward the shore. As it slowed the current grabbed it and it hit the dock.

"Go," Tom yelled.

Daria jumped out onto the dock. She was actually surprised that despite her state she was able to jump and land on the dock. Unfortunately, she fell on her side and found herself sliding toward the opposite edge. Daria reached out still holding the rope. She managed to grab a pylon, which swung her around and she slid into another pylon. She didn't really feel the hit. She was too cold.

As Daria jumped, Tom had grabbed another rope and jumped as well. He had seen the ice on the dock and dug in with his shoes as he hit and managed not to slide. He pulled his rope around a pylon, tied it off and then went to help Daria. He was as cold as she was, but knew he had to overcome this for both their sakes. He needed to tie the second rope to a pylon and then they could make their way to the house.

He came over to Daria, who was lying on her side rope in hand. Tom took the rope, finished tying up the skiff and helped Daria to her feet. She said nothing as the two trudged toward the house supporting each other on the way. They hadn't even taken off their life vests. The hill was slick from being covered in tiny balls of sleet. Daria's glasses were now completely covered in ice. She couldn't see. Tom could feel her shivering. Twice she slipped and nearly fell. Tom was having a tough time supporting her, not because she was in any way heavy – she barely weighed 100 pound (45 kg) – but because he was losing his ability to react.

At last they reached the house. Daria was clinging to Tom's left arm as best she could. Tom reached out and tried to turn the door handle. The ice encrusted handle didn't move. A momentary feeling of panic rose in Tom. Surely he hadn't locked the door! They only locked the door when leaving the house to go home. He tried again – nothing.

"W-w-what is it Tom?" Daria asked in a voice which to Tom sounded like pleading.

"The handle is frozen. Can you stand on your own for a moment?"

"S-s-sure I-I-I can d-d-do that." Daria let go of Tom's arm and stood there shivering barely able to stand.

Tom took a small step back, intertwined his gloved fingers, raised his arms and brought his hands down hard on the handle. It moved and the door opened. Tom was glad they had changed the hardware to a handle from a knob last year. People were often carrying things going in and out of the house and this made it much easier. Today with everything being covered in ice it may literally have been a lifesaver!

Tom took hold of Daria and helped her inside and then closed the door. The warmth of the house felt so good. It was as lovely as the beach on a summer day. Warmth began to find subtle ways of seeping in to their bodies. Even with the warmth, however, there was no mistaking the sound of the howling wind outside.

Tom noticed for the first time that both his hair and Daria's were frozen. He pulled off his gloves and the first thing he did was remove Daria's life vest. Then he guided her to one of the plastic chairs usually used outdoors. He removed his own life vest and coat. He noticed that despite the cold his shirt was soaked with sweat. Tom rubbed his hands together to warm them a bit. He was shivering too, but not nearly as much as Daria.

Turning to Daria he removed her coat. Tom was deeply concerned about her shivering. He even thought her lips appeared to have a slight blue cast to them. Once the coat was off he helped her remove her soaked jeans. Her shirt was mostly dry. Tom ran over to the couch and picked up the two fleece throws lying there. He placed them snugly around Daria to help her get warmer. He grabbed a towel that was sitting by the kitchen sink and used that to remove at least some of the water from her hair.

"Daria, I am going upstairs and run a warm bath for you. That should help warm you."

"OK," was all that Daria said. She was just shivering and staring at the floor.

Tom went upstairs to the bathroom. There stood the large enameled iron bath tub Tom's mother had so badly wanted for the house. It was a classic footed style and had the raised back that allowed the person taking a bath to slightly recline. He turned on the water and checked the stream until it was very warm, but not so hot that it could shock Daria's system. He even found some bubble bath and added that to the water. It seemed to take forever to fill, but as soon as it was full he headed down to get Daria.

Looking at Daria he first noticed that the blue tinge was gone from her lips. She was also shivering much less. He walked over and helped her to her feet.

"Steady me," Daria said. "But I want to walk on my own." She dropped the throws and then step-by-step Daria walked to the stairs and up to the bedroom. "Now let me get the last of these wet things off. I think I can do it myself."

Tom left the room and waited in the hall. In a few minutes Daria emerged wearing a bathrobe. She was still unsteady on her feet, but to Tom it seemed that the shivering had stopped. Tom helped her into the bathroom and got her to the tub.

Daria stared at the tub and said in her total deadpan, "A bubble bath? I don't think I have had one of those since I was 5!"

"The women in my family seem to like those. I thought you might too. I want you to feel special."

"You're sweet," Daria kind of mumbled through still chattering teeth. "Now turn around and face the wall over there. Close your eyes and hold out your arm. I will tell you when you can open them. No peeking!"

Tom did as commanded. Daria slipped the robe off of her shoulders and placed it across his outstretched arm. She was still very very cold. Truth was that she couldn't really tell whether the water in the bathtub was hot or not. She slipped into the bath and made sure that the bubbles fully covered her. The bath felt wonderful. The water and bubbles came up to her neck.

"OK Tom. You can open your eyes. You can even turn around."

Tom turned around and said, "I'm going to go and finish changing. Then I'll make us some tea. Try to stay awake. I don't want you to drown.

"I won't drown. Go change. You are cold, too. I'll be waiting right here for that tea."

Tom went into the bedroom and pulled out dry clothes for himself and put them on. He saw that Daria had dropped her clothes in a pile on the floor. He picked them up and took them downstairs to hang up to dry. Once in the kitchen he put a pot of water on to boil.

…...

Upstairs Daria was luxuriating in the warmth of the tub. It didn't really take that long for her teeth to stop chattering. After about 20 minutes she was feeling so much better, though very tired. Daria had to admit, however, that Tom had probably saved her life. Not only had he saved her life, but it certainly appeared that he did so without any regard to his own safety. He was selfless in that. Was this something that showed his feelings for her or would he have been that way with anyone? Either way Tom was kind hearted. He had also been gentle when ordering her around.

As Daria was caught in her reverie Tom entered bearing two mugs of tea. He pulled over a small table that held various toiletries and set it next to the tub. He placed Daria's mug on it.

"Be careful," Tom said. "It is really hot."

Daria picked up her tea. Stared at it and hesitantly took a sip. It was hot, but it didn't burn her lips. She set the mug back down and said, "Thank you Tom. Thank you for taking care of me while you neglected yourself. You could have left me to take care of myself."

"You know I wouldn't do that," Tom responded. He chose his next words very carefully. "I care about you, Daria. I certainly don't want any harm to come to you. Frankly, it makes me feel good when I can help you and protect you. You are very self-sufficient. Thank you for letting me in and letting me help."

"I really do appreciate you Tom. I'm glad we got back together. Now, would you go into the bedroom and get me some underwear, my gray wool skirt and that beige turtleneck sweater I brought? Just set them over there. Oh, and I think I need a towel, too."

Tom did as Daria asked and then went back downstairs.

…...

Daria walked down the stairs. She had her now empty tea mug with her and she had pulled on the spare pair of boots she had brought for the weekend. Tom was sitting at the table by the window. Across the great room she could see that he had built a roaring fire in the fireplace. She went to the stove and poured herself more tea. Then she sat by Tom at the table. The two sat and sipped their teas. Tom stood up and briefly rubbed Daria's back. Then he went to the opposite side of the table and looked out the window.

Tom remarked casually, "The storm is really getting ugly, he said. I sure am glad that we are in here. Look at how it is churning the water. Those trees are really leaning. And of course you can hear the ice pellets hitting the window."

"What do you think will happen?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I found the radio while you were in the bathtub, but none of the stations actually carry local weather. I finally found a weather radio tucked in the back of a cupboard. All I can deduce from what is being broadcast is that we are experiencing a nor'easter; that temperatures will drop 8 to 10 degrees below freezing tonight; and that gale force winds are likely in this region. Some places may see gusts up to hurricane force. As you might have guessed there is a high wind warning covering the whole region. There is no direct forecast for us. All I can say is that the weather will be very unpleasant tonight. It is a good thing we are safe inside here."

"I'll second that," Daria remarked.

As Daria finished her sentence the lights went out. Tom flipped open his phone and checked for service – none was shown.

"This must be a widespread blackout. The cell tower is down. I have no service."

Daria checked her phone and found no service either. She said, "Mine is out as well. Since we use different cell phone companies the power must be out in more than just the house."

Tom reached over and turned on the camping lantern that was sitting on the table. He continued to look at the storm.

"I think we have watched out there enough," Tom commented. "Let's go sit by the fire. It will be warmer over there."

Daria stood up and walked over to the stove. The tea was still plenty hot. She refilled her cup and Tom's as well. Then they went and sat on the couch facing the fireplace. Tom sat down first. He was pleasantly surprised when Daria not only sat next to him on his right, but she actually snuggled up to him. He reached over and grabbed a throw and pulled it over their legs.

Tom started to tingle all over when Daria laid her left hand on his leg. Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek. She said quietly, "You know, when I am with you my fear goes away. It may be storming out there. It may sound like a jet engine in here. But, with you here I know I will get through it. I think we really have deepened our relationship since August."

Tom leaned over and gave Daria a little kiss in her hair. It smelled wonderful. He could sit here like this forever. "I think we have deepened it as well. I know that I am happiest when I am with you."

The two sat and finished their tea. Then they just sat and watched the fire. Tom would add wood now and then. It was warm and comfortable. They both dozed on and off.

After a couple of hours Daria stood up and went off to the bathroom. Tom just contemplated how relaxed and wonderful he felt here with her. When she returned she reached down and took his hand.

Daria looked at Tom, bit her lower lip, and said in nearly a whisper, "I really feel like going to bed. But with the power out I know it might get chilly. I think I need someone to keep me warm and protect me from the chill." She leaned over and kissed him. Pulling on his hand enticed him to get up and she led him to the stairs. Before going up Daria turned to him and said, "Since the power is out I don't expect you to be reading a book all night on top of the covers." She turned and Tom continued to let himself be led.

…...

As Daria opened her eyes she first noted that the sunlight coming in the bedroom window was nearly as intense as the gloom of the day before. She also noted that the air she was breathing in was distinctly cool. Yet, she was warm and snug in the bed. Tom was lying up against her back and he had his arm over her. She could just hear his steady breathing.

Daria gently moved Tom's arm and slipped out of the bed. She put her feet in the slippers sitting on the floor. She also picked up her bathrobe, slipped it on, and tied the belt. As she walked over to the window the light simply got more intense. When she got there and looked out the view was amazing. The entire world was covered with ice. Every branch in every tree was covered. Every blade of grass was covered. All the outdoor furniture and even the roof of the garage were covered. Everything was encased in ice and that ice was reflecting and refracting the sunshine. She just stood there and stared.

Tom quietly slipped out of bed, came up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her. He whispered in her ear, "Incredibly beautiful isn't it?"

"I've never seen anything like this before. I don't think that Jane could even paint something like this. I wish that I had a camera."

"If I did have one along I would want a picture of my beautiful girlfriend with the ice covered landscape as a backdrop."

Turning around Daria folded her arms and looked up to him, "Oh Tom, I'm short, scrawny and flat. And I wear glasses because I can hardly see. Not to mention my winning personality. You could have a much more beautiful and exciting girlfriend. But I am glad you like me."

"Daria, except for maybe your height you just described a supermodel. I know that physical appearance is not your priority. It is not mine either. Still, don't underestimate how good looking you are and no woman I know can compete with your mind."

"Thanks. You always make me feel good. You made me feel really good last night."

Tom smiled, put his arms around Daria, and gave her a hug. She unfolded her arms and hugged him back.

Tom said, "Let's put on some clothes, go outside, and do some exploring. It isn't often that we get to see a world of ice!"

"I'm getting chilly in this bathrobe, but falling and getting a concussion doesn't appeal to me."

"I have slip-on ice spikes. Sometimes my uncles will come out here to ice fish in the middle of winter. They store their stuff in the house."

"Well, OK. I'll give into your madness this time."

As they were getting dressed the power came back on and the furnace started.

…...

Jane saw on the display that it was Daria calling. She flipped open her phone and said, "Hi Daria! How was fall break out at The Cove?"

Daria answered in her total deadpan, "Despite an ice storm and nearly getting killed in a boat it was really nice. Oh, and the power went out and we had to share body heat to survive."

Jane smiled as she listened to her friend and then commented, "Didn't it occur to you two to just pack up and leave?"

"No," Daria answered as she realized that her sarcastic remark had just given Jane the opening that she wanted.

"Well physical activity will generate plenty of heat. You obviously survived and I will bet you enjoyed it."

"You're kind of warped Lane," Daria commented with a slight note of irritation in her voice.

"It is all part of being an artist, Daria. Besides, I'm glad to hear you have joined the rest of us. Tom is a great guy. Be nice to him. He cares about you – a lot."

Daria relied forcefully, "I am nice to him. And what is more, he is nice and gentle with me. I have to admit he is so unlike the guys I have gone out with here at Raft. Jerks."

"It must be that fine Bromwell education."

"That has nothing to do with it and you know it. Why do I even call you?"

"Because I am your best friend and you are my best friend."

"Maybe I don't deserve him."

Jane's voice took on a serious tone, "Yes you do deserve him."

"And, yes, I know he cares for me. I just don't know how I feel. It is going to take some time to sort out my feelings."

"In the meantime you need to spend as much time talking to him and being with him as possible, Daria. That is the only way you will ever get to know how you feel. I think you two are off to a great second start. Don't screw it up, Morgendorffer!"

"Thanks Jane. I won't. Let's get together for some pizza and beer this week, OK?"

"Sure. How about Thursday night? BFAC has studio day on Friday, so I don't have to be in class at any particular time."

"Sounds good. I don't have any classes on Friday afternoon. Want to come here to Magic Eggplant?"

"Sure, if you are buying."

"I can do that."

"We can celebrate love and friendship. See you at 7:00."

"Right Jane. Bye."

 _Daria is the property of MTV. The characters are used without permission. This is a work of fan fiction and is meant purely for the enjoyment of those who choose to read it. No income is to be derived from this work._

 _This story was in-part inspired by two works of fan art by eve-bolt. Both can be found on DeviantArt. The first is Daria-The Lake and is located under at /art/Daria-The-Lake-208434019. The second is Daria-Storm and is located under /art/Daria-Storm-550745529. Note that this site does not allow links to be embedded in stories._


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